Limited corporal punishment could pose challenge to school system

Dec 24, 2014 News

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– GTU President

Violence in the school system continues to be a “burning issue” gaining the attention of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU).  At least this is according to President of the Union, Mark Lyte, who during an interview with this publication said that with a moderated version of corporal punishment in place, some children within the school system exhibit behaviour that is less than acceptable.

This state of affairs, according to him, permits teachers very little scope to deal with some children who are prone to violent activities in the school environment.
“So violence remains a major factor,” said Lyte as he alluded to violent situations that see students attacking students and even some where students are violent against teachers.
Moreover, the GTU President amplified the need for strategic measures to be put in place to address challenges in the school system such as Guidance and Counsellors and Welfare Officers.
“Because of the numerous problems we have in our school system, teachers are required to do their normal duties and also battle with children who are deviant in their behaviour and so this poses a challenge for teachers,” added Lyte.
“We need to have persons who are strategically placed to take care of the problems that we have in the school system…In some schools, all day they are dealing with matters and the teachers are burdened with these issues that take them away from the actual classroom work,” Lyte said.
And according to the Union head, issues seen in the classrooms often range from physical fights to intimate relationships and can even include the effects of economical challenges on students.
“Of course we have children who come to school and they are not inclined to learn,” said Lyte even as he spoke of this being a challenge to universal primary education that has already been attained, and that of universal secondary education which the Ministry is on course to realise.
“We are saying that we are putting measures in place to ensure that all children are in school, but we know that not everybody is inclined to learn.  If you put children who are not interested, how will they focus? And they are likely to use various ways to get attention,” said Lyte as he spoke of this situation often resulting in violence.
Although corporal punishment has remained in suspension mode in the National Assembly, the Ministry of Education has not failed to embrace the practice in the school system.
Minister Priya Manickchand at a press conference last year said that “the Ministry’s policy on corporal punishment hasn’t changed…it is allowed in school.” However, she asserted that the use of corporal punishment in the school system is governed by strictly regulated written policies that are in place.
But the Ministry is ready and willing to be guided by the decision of Parliament on the matter, she added.
She said that although the National Assembly, at a Tripartite Level, is looking at Corporal Punishment, generally there is specific attention being paid to the issue as it relates to the school system.
“This therefore means that all of the parliamentary parties are tasked with sitting around the table and deciding what is best for Guyana as we go forward,” said Manickchand.
Additionally, she said that comments and views of individual members of the public and/or organisations are encouraged to help chart the way forward.
Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, had then said that the input of teachers is also very important to the process. “Teachers’ opinions, thoughts and ideas have been factored into decisions, but specifically in this one they play a key role,” he said.
“The compromise position we struck a number of years ago had to do with the wide array of feelings and opinions on this (Corporal Punishment).”
“I think people need to appreciate that we can’t just look at this on one level, but my position has always been that this is a national issue, not just a school issue,” said Sam.
He explained that since such decisions will have implications for how children will be treated in the general society, it is imperative that the attitude about corporal punishment takes into consideration parents’ views and emotions as well.
Sam said that several consultations on the issue have in fact produced varied opinions, even as he emphasised the importance of collaboration not only with teachers and parents but the Parliament as well as international partners.
“The Ministry does not exist in isolation, so all of these things have to be collectively considered when these decisions are being made,” the CEO outlined.
In the interim, though, Minister Manickchand said that head teachers as well as teachers are required to comply with the existing Ministry policy which outlines that children should not be beaten merely to ensure that the environment is conducive for learning.
According to Manickchand, “We have specific cases when corporal punishment could be inflicted, specific instruments that can be used, and who should administer those blows.”
The issue of corporal punishment has over the past few years spurred much discussion and emotions, which was especially emphasised in 2009 when a Berbice teacher was accused of breaching the Ministry’s rules detailed in a document entitled ‘Maintenance of Order and Discipline in Schools/Alternative Forms of Punishment.’
The document categorically states, inter alia, that only a head-teacher can administer corporal punishment to students, or identify a senior teacher to so administer punishment in his or her presence.
This procedure was however not heeded by the teacher.

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